Tropical Greenstreak - Hodges#4309.1
Cyanophrys herodotus
This record describes Cyanophrys herodotus (species). Recorded family: Lycaenidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Has a green frons (forehead) and tails. Clench's Greenstreak has a brown frons; Goodson's is tailless. First U.S. record: Bentsen-RGV State Park, 1972 the most common Greenstreak in s. TX.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Papilionoidea
- Family
- Lycaenidae (Blues, Coppers, Hairstreaks, Harvesters)
- Subfamily
- Theclinae
- Tribe
- Eumaeini
- Genus
- Cyanophrys (Greenstreaks)
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
s. TX (as a stray) to Brazil - Map (MPG, BOA)
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Caterpillars have been recorded in flowers of a wide variety of hosts in at least three plant families; possible hosts that occur in the US include Lantana camara and Mikania scandens .
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Cyanophrys herodotus (Fabricius, 1793)
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Cyanophrys herodotus. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Lepidoptera includes approximately 180,000 described species of butterflies and moths. Moths outnumber butterflies roughly 10:1. The monarch butterfly's eastern population has declined by more than 80% since the mid-1990s, and the western population by over 95% since the 1980s. The IUCN lists the migratory monarch as Vulnerable.
Ecological role of the group
Butterflies and moths are essential indicators of ecosystem health. As caterpillars, they are a primary food source for birds - a single nest of blue tit chicks requires ~10,000 caterpillars. Adult moths pollinate many night-blooming plants.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Lepidoptera are critical pollinators. In Europe, grassland butterfly species have declined by almost 50% since the early 1990s. In the UK, three-quarters of butterflies are in decline. In the U.S., five butterfly species have gone extinct since 1950, with 29 listed as endangered.
Recorded sources for this group: IUCN Red List, Xerces Society, USFWS, PNAS, WWF. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Tropical Greenstreak - Hodges#4309.1 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Joshua Stuart Rose; Additional contributions by Steve Nanz , Mike Quinn
Frequently Asked Questions About Tropical Greenstreak - Hodges#4309.1
What is Tropical Greenstreak - Hodges#4309.1?
Tropical Greenstreak - Hodges#4309.1 (Cyanophrys herodotus) is a species in the family Lycaenidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How do you identify Tropical Greenstreak - Hodges#4309.1?
Has a green frons (forehead) and tails. Clench's Greenstreak has a brown frons; Goodson's is tailless.
Where is Tropical Greenstreak - Hodges#4309.1 found?
Range: s. TX (as a stray) to Brazil - Map (MPG, BOA)
What does Tropical Greenstreak - Hodges#4309.1 eat?
The diet of the Tropical Greenstreak - Hodges#4309.1 includes Caterpillars have been recorded in flowers of a wide variety of hosts in at least three plant families; possible hosts that occur in the US include Lantana camara and Mikania scandens ..